Dram
09-08-2009, 11:55 AM
Is anyone interested in or is going to Gualala for this meeting tomorrow evening in enough numbers to charter a bus or a similar transport?
County, PG&E seek input on wave power
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Gualala and Jenner to host forums over next two weeks
by Frank Robertson
Sonoma West Staff Writer
Published: Wednesday, September 2, 2009 2:30 PM PDT
Two public meetings on the possibility of harnessing Sonoma Coast wave power to generate electricity are scheduled this month starting next Wednesday (Sept 9) in Gualala and again on Wednesday, Sept. 16 in Jenner.
The Sonoma County Water Agency (SCWA) is looking at utilizing wave power as a potential source of energy as part of a county effort to get its electric power from renewable resources.
The Gualala meeting will be held in the Gualala Community Center. The Jenner meeting on Sept. 16 is in the Jenner Community Center on Highway 1. Both meetings will run from 6 to 8 p.m.
PG&E and the Water Agency two years ago announced they were looking at Pacific Ocean wave energy as an electric power source since state renewable energy goals mandate greater use of renewable resources in energy production.
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The Water Agency took an interest after local environmental groups such as the Surfrider Foundation and the Farralones Institute raised concerns about a non-local entity such as an energy conglomerate getting the permits first, said Cordel Stillman, the Water Agency’s Capital Projects Manager.
The Water Agency has been working with PG&E as part of the feasibility process, said Stillman.
“PG&E is about 18 months ahead of us in their process,” said Stillman. “We hope to work with them and share information.”
The selected sites were positioned to avoid marine sanctuaries, avoid state and local parks and avoid prime fishing areas, said Stillman.
“We went up the coast and stayed away from Salt Point, the mouth of the river and the Cordell Banks marine sanctuary,” said Stillman.
“There is legislation at the federal level to extend Cordell Banks all the way up to Point Arena which would encompass all of our sites and virtually invalidate them,” said Stillman.
“We understand that it’s very difficult to develop a wave energy project,” said Stillman.
“If we run into environmental objections we will stop,” said Stillman. “This is not something that we’re going to slam home if it doesn’t make any sense.”
The Agency’s wave power interest got a go-ahead this summer from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission which granted three preliminary permits for a feasibility study of a “hydrokinetic energy project” off the Sonoma Coast.
The locations include three 10- to 15-square mile areas along the coast north of the River estuary at Jenner.
Each site extends from a half-mile to about three miles offshore.
The permits allow the Water Agency to study the feasibility of developing two to five megawatts (MW) of wave power at each location and to assess the potential for expansion to over 40 MW at each of the three sites.
The preliminary permits only allow a SCWA investigation to secure “the necessary data to determine the feasibility of the proposed project and to prepare a license application,” said a Water Agency report. “It grants no land-disturbing or other property rights.”
SCWA estimates that about $1.75 million in grant funding and SCWA funds will be required to complete the feasibility studies.
Next week’s meetings are an effort “to work with the many community organizations and the public on the next steps of this important project,” said 5th District Supervisor and SCWA Director Efren Carrillo.
At the meetings SCWA will make a presentation on preliminary project information, discuss timelines and take public input.
More information is available on the Water Agency’s Web site at sonomacountywater.org (https://sonomacountywater.org/).
County, PG&E seek input on wave power
<center></center>
Gualala and Jenner to host forums over next two weeks
by Frank Robertson
Sonoma West Staff Writer
Published: Wednesday, September 2, 2009 2:30 PM PDT
Two public meetings on the possibility of harnessing Sonoma Coast wave power to generate electricity are scheduled this month starting next Wednesday (Sept 9) in Gualala and again on Wednesday, Sept. 16 in Jenner.
The Sonoma County Water Agency (SCWA) is looking at utilizing wave power as a potential source of energy as part of a county effort to get its electric power from renewable resources.
The Gualala meeting will be held in the Gualala Community Center. The Jenner meeting on Sept. 16 is in the Jenner Community Center on Highway 1. Both meetings will run from 6 to 8 p.m.
PG&E and the Water Agency two years ago announced they were looking at Pacific Ocean wave energy as an electric power source since state renewable energy goals mandate greater use of renewable resources in energy production.
<!-- AdSys ad not found for sonoma_west_times_and_news/news:instory -->
The Water Agency took an interest after local environmental groups such as the Surfrider Foundation and the Farralones Institute raised concerns about a non-local entity such as an energy conglomerate getting the permits first, said Cordel Stillman, the Water Agency’s Capital Projects Manager.
The Water Agency has been working with PG&E as part of the feasibility process, said Stillman.
“PG&E is about 18 months ahead of us in their process,” said Stillman. “We hope to work with them and share information.”
The selected sites were positioned to avoid marine sanctuaries, avoid state and local parks and avoid prime fishing areas, said Stillman.
“We went up the coast and stayed away from Salt Point, the mouth of the river and the Cordell Banks marine sanctuary,” said Stillman.
“There is legislation at the federal level to extend Cordell Banks all the way up to Point Arena which would encompass all of our sites and virtually invalidate them,” said Stillman.
“We understand that it’s very difficult to develop a wave energy project,” said Stillman.
“If we run into environmental objections we will stop,” said Stillman. “This is not something that we’re going to slam home if it doesn’t make any sense.”
The Agency’s wave power interest got a go-ahead this summer from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission which granted three preliminary permits for a feasibility study of a “hydrokinetic energy project” off the Sonoma Coast.
The locations include three 10- to 15-square mile areas along the coast north of the River estuary at Jenner.
Each site extends from a half-mile to about three miles offshore.
The permits allow the Water Agency to study the feasibility of developing two to five megawatts (MW) of wave power at each location and to assess the potential for expansion to over 40 MW at each of the three sites.
The preliminary permits only allow a SCWA investigation to secure “the necessary data to determine the feasibility of the proposed project and to prepare a license application,” said a Water Agency report. “It grants no land-disturbing or other property rights.”
SCWA estimates that about $1.75 million in grant funding and SCWA funds will be required to complete the feasibility studies.
Next week’s meetings are an effort “to work with the many community organizations and the public on the next steps of this important project,” said 5th District Supervisor and SCWA Director Efren Carrillo.
At the meetings SCWA will make a presentation on preliminary project information, discuss timelines and take public input.
More information is available on the Water Agency’s Web site at sonomacountywater.org (https://sonomacountywater.org/).